Sweatproof burial vault



March 30, 1937. R. `A. BURNS SWEATPROOF BURIAL VAULT Filed Dec. 13,''1954 ZShQSLS-Shee, l

NN Y mw RN NN March 30, 1937. R. A. BURNS A 2,075,500-

SWEATPROQF BURIAL VAULT Filed Deo; 15, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 2 uxjyf l:

i? y j Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sweatproof burial vaults.Heretofore, it has been common practice in constructing burial vaults toso form the vault that it has a solid wall formed of concrete. Becauseof the fact that the concrete is, to a certain extent, porous, it ispossible for moisture to permeate the walls of the vault and thus of itsinterior. This results in the vault sweating. Efforts to render thevault waterproof have been made with considerable difficulty.

An object of the present invention is to provide a burial vault which isof such construction that moisture cannot pass through the walls of thevault or its cover and enter the vault.

l5 Another object of the invention is to provide a burial vault havingbottom, side, and end walls, and a cover, which are hollow in that thereare air spaces therein, the faces of which are coated with awaterproofing material such as asphaltum,

rendering the vault impervious to moisture, and to provide a means fordraining the spaces or chambers in the walls so that in the event thatmoisture should pass through the outer portionsof the walls of the vaultand enter the air spaces it may readily drain therefrom and cannot passinto the interior of the vault.

Another object of the invention is to provide a burial vault having theabove mentioned characteristics which is of relatively simple anddurable design and construction.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be mademanifest in the following detailed description, and specifically pointedout in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through the improved burial vault.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 2-2upon Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical, transverse section through the vault takensubstantially upon the line 3-3 upon Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a partial view in vertical section taken through an end wallof the vault, illustrating details of construction.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, the view having been taken through aside wall of the vault.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout,the improved vault consists of an outer concrete container having abottom wall I0, side walls II and I2, and end walls I3 and I4. Thisouter container may be formed in any preferred manner, it beingpreferable,

however, to pour the concrete over that of the above mentioned walls orintegral with each other. Small openings I5 and I6 are formed in thebottom wall I0 adjacent the end walls I3 and I4. These may be formed bypositioning 5 small tubes or pipes in the mold for the concrete inpouring the outer container or they may be formed by cores thatareremoved after the concrete has set. The bottom, also, has additionalapertures I'I and I8 formed therein corresponding 10 to the apertures I5and I6, except that these apertures are arranged adjacent the side wallsI I and I2. The side and end walls have their tops recessed on theirinner faces, as indicated at I9.

Inner walls are provided in the form of indil5 vidual concrete slabs,the inner bottom wall being indicated at 20 and the inner end wallsindicated at 2I and 22, while the inner side walls are indicated at 23and 24. The inner bottom wall 20 has embossments formed on its bottomsurface, 20 which bear on the bottom I0 of the outer container. Theseembossments are indicated at 25 and hold the major portion of the innerbottom wall 20 in spaced relation to the bottom I0, defining one or moreair spaces 2S therebetween. In 25 a similar way, the end walls 2I and 22have embossments 21 and, in a like manner, the side walls 23 and 24 haveembossments 28. The uppermost embossments on the side and end walls 2|,22, 23, and 24 are slightly thicker than the bottom em- 30 bossmentsthereon so that these embossments are partially recessed in the recessesI9 formed on the interior of the outer container. The lowermostembossments on the side and end walls have recesses 30 formed thereinwhich will accommodate 35 the tubes used to form the apertures I5, I6,I'I and I8, or, in the event that no tubes are used, these recesses willregister with the apertures designated by the above referencecharacters.

The side walls 23 and 24 extend from end to 40 end in the outercontainer. The inner end walls 2I and 22 fit between the ends of theside walls 23 and 24 and are so designed that when their upperembossments are fitting in the recesses I9 their bottom edges will beslightly spaced from 45 the bottom I0 ofthe outer container. The innerbottom 20 is of such size that when positioned within the side and endwalls on bottom I0 it will be slightly spaced from the inner side andend walls. 50

To assemble the inner walls in the outer container the interior surfacesin the outer container are coated with a coating of asphaltum or likewaterproong material. The outer faces of the inner Walls are likewisecoated, The inner side 55 and end walls are then positioned againsttheir corresponding walls of the outer container and the inner bottom 2Bis then dropped in place. The small clearance between the inner side andend walls and the bottom I and the small clearance between the edges ofthe inner bottom wall 2D and the inner side and end walls may be filledby pouring asphaltum therein, as indicated at 3 l.

The uppermost embossments on the inner side and end walls which arerecessed in the walls of the outer container have apertures 32 formedtherein. These are preferably provided with small sections of metaltubing 33 which are telescopically slidable. The top edges of the innerside and end Walls are preferably grooved as at 34, this groove beinglocated preferably somewhat higher than the top edge of the outercontainer, indicated at 35.

The cover for the burial vault has an outer 2O cover 35 of any preferreddesign preferably formed of a single piece of concrete. It has down-Wardly extending flanges 3l at its sides and ends, these flanges havingbeads 33 therein adapte-d to enter the grooves Sil, and seating edges 38adapted toseat on the top 35 of the outer container. Within the coverthere is disposed a cover lining preferably formed of two sections 4i]and 4! eXn tending longitudinally of the cover. The side edges of thelining sections are recessed as indicate-d at 42 in the side flanges onthe cover, as clearly shown in Figs. ll and 5. The end edges of thelining sections merely abut against the ends of the cover. Thesesections, on being assembled in the cover, have the planes of theirbodies upwardly and inwardly inclined.

The small space thatmay be present between the abutting surfaces of thelining sections may be filled with cement or asphaltum so that thelining sections of the cover will be effectively keyed in the outercover 36.

It will be noted that major portions of the lining sections are disposedin spaced relation to the cover, defining air spaces i3 therebetween.Prior to the assembly of the lining sections and the cover, the undersurface of the outer cover 3% and the top surfaces of the liningsections are coated 'with asphaltum or other Waterproong material. As ameans for draining these air spaces ports ll are' formed in the Aflanges31. These may lead to the outside of the cover o r they may communicatesolely with ports 48 which eX- tend downwardly through the bea-ds 38 soas to register with tubes 33. In the preferred form of construction bothports 4'? and 48 are employed although either set of ports may beomitted. Ports 43 are preferably lined with small tubes 49 capable oftelescoping within tubes 33.

It will be understood that the inner walls of the container areassembled with the outer container at the place of manufactureand'likewise, thev lining sections of the cover are assembled with theouter cover at the factory. When the coffin has been placed Within thevault the tubes 33 are caused to slide upwardly in their aperturessothat they project upwardly through groove 44. Asphaltum can then beplaced in the groove around these tubes and cement may be applied to thetop edge 35 of the outer container. The cover is then applied with thetubes 49 entering tubes 35 As the cover seats itself it squeezes andspreads the asphaltum in groove 34 and the cement on edge 35. The vaultis then in condition to be lowered into the grave.

It will be noted that as the inner surfaces of the outer container arecoated with asphaltum and the inner surface of the cover 36 is,likewise, coated, moisture tending to penetrate the outer container andcover will be effectively halted by this Waterproong coating. Should themoisture, however, penetrate the coating and enter the air spaces it mayreadily drain therefrom. It may flow from air spaces 43 through ports 41and 48, through the air spaces between the inner side walls and endwalls and the outer container and -drain through the apertures I5, I6,I1, and I8. As the inner walls and lining sections have theWaterproof-lng asphaltum applied to their outer faces, there is nodanger of moisture penetrating and entering the interior of the vault.Consequently, any "sWeating of the vault is effectively prevented.

From the above described constructions it will be appreciated that theimproved burial vault is of lrelatively simple and durable construction.Sweating is effectively prevented by making the walls of the vaulthollow and waterproofing the surfaces defining the air spaces thereinand mal;- ing provision'for suitable drains todrain'ofi any moisturethat'shouldfperchance ent'erwthese air spaces. l

Various changes may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the inventien asdened by the`ap`-pended claims. 'Y v 'Y u I claim:

1,. A sweatproof burial vault comprising a concrete container having ac'overfthe walls 'ofthe container and the cover being hollow,w awaterproofing coating applied to the surfaces 'defining the spaces inthe walls', and means providingfdr draining the spaces in the walls. W

2. A sweatproof burial vaultcomprising a concrete container having acover, the walls of the container and the cover being hollow, yaWaterproong coating applied to the surfaces Vdeiining the spaces in theWalls, and means providing for draining the spaces in the walls'and inthe cover.

`3. A sweatproof burial vault comprising' a'eoncrete container having lacoverjthe'walls of the container and the cover being hollQW, awaterproong coating applied to the surfaces dei-ming the spaces in theWalls, means providing for draining the spaces in the walls, and meansfor drain-v ing the cover through the spaces in the walls',

4. A sweatproof burial vault comprising an outer container, inner side,bottom and end walls disposed against the side, bottom, and end walls ofthe outerV container, the 'majoritynat leas'tf'of the inner walls havingembossments engagingthe outer container to hold the major portions ofthe inner walls in spaced relation' 'to the outer container to defineair spaces therebetween, 'and means providing for drainage ofthe'air'spac'es.

5. A sweatproof burial vault4 comprisingan outer container, inner side,bottom and end walls disposed against the side, bottom, and end walls ofthe outer containenthe majority' at leastofx the inner Walls rhavingembossnientsengaging the outer container to hold the major portionsl of'the' inner v valls in spaced relation to the out'enconv` tainer tovdefine air spaces therebetween, a waterproof coating applied tothesurfacesdefining the air spaces, and means providing for drainage of theair spaces. A i

6. A sweatproof burial vault comprising an outer container, inner side,bottom, andend walls disposed against the side, bottom ,and end walls ofvthe outer container,v meansf'or holding the major portions of theinnerwallsY in spacedx relation to the outer centainer to define air spacestherebetween, and means providing for drainage of the air spaces.

7. A sweatproof burial vault comprising an outer container, inner side,bottom, and end walls disposed against the side, bottom, and end Wallsof the outer container, means for holding the major portions of theinner walls in spaced relation to the outer container to -define airspaces therebetween, a waterproof coating applied to the surfacesdefining the air spaces, and means providing for drainage of the airspaces.

8. A sweatproof burial vault comprising an outer container, inner side,bottom and end Walls disposed against the side, bottom, and end Walls ofthe outer container, the majority at least of the inner walls havingembossments engaging the outer container to hold the major portions ofthe inner walls in spaced relation to the outer container to dene airspaces therebetween, some of the embossments on the side and end wallsbeing recessed in the walls of the outer container.

9. A sweatproof burial vault comprising an outer container, inner side,bottom, and end walls disposed against the side, bottom, and end wallsof the outer container, the majority at least oi the inner walls havingembossments engaging the outer container to hold the major portions ofthe inner walls in spaced relation to the outer container to define airspaces therebetween, some of the embossments on the side and end wallsbeing recessed in the walls of the outer container, and

a waterproof coating applied to the surfaces defining the air spaces.

10. A sweatproof burial vault comprising an outer container, inner side,bottom, and end walls disposed against the side, bottom, and end wallsof the outer container, the majority at least oi the inner walls havingembossments engaging the outer container to hold the major portions ofthe inner walls in spaced relation to the outer container to define airspaces therebetween, some of the embossments on the side and end wallsbeing recessed in the Walls of the outer container, a waterproof coatingapplied to the surfaces dening the air spaces, and means providing fordrainage of the air spaces.

11. A cover for burial vaults comprising an outer cover, a cover liningdisposed on the under side of the outer cover and having its majorportion disposed in spaced relation thereto define an air spacetherebetween, a waterproof coating applied to the surfaces dening theair space, and means for draining the air space.

12. A cover for burial vaults comprising an outer cover, a cover liningdisposed on the under side of the outer cover and having its majorportion disposed in spaced relation thereto to define an air spacetherebetween, said lining being dlvided into sections and having edgesrecessed in the cover.

R. A. BURNS.

